


Nothing But The Wild Rain

by AbbyBanks



Category: Harry Potter - Rowling
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-15
Updated: 2009-11-15
Packaged: 2017-10-02 20:11:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbbyBanks/pseuds/AbbyBanks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry and Severus are through. Again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nothing But The Wild Rain

_He squelched unhappily up the dirt track, towards the cottage. The rain drove into his face; his boots were soaked, his cloak waterlogged and heavy, but he had to try one last time, before he could concede that this_ thing_ between them was finally over._

__

_Bedraggled and pitiful, he reached the door and knocked._

_He could hear movement within, but no-one answered. Fine. That was it, then. But..._

_He couldn't bear for their bright, colourful years of passion to end like this, ignominiously, in the mud. He hiked his collar against the deluge, swallowed his pride, and kept on knocking._

He wanted to ignore the knocking, he really did, but he had a bad feeling that the visitor would fail to take the hint. Looking out he could see that another squally shower was moving in over the North Sea. Half an hour and it would be here. Perhaps that would deter the persistent idiot.

In the event, it didn't. The rain hammered so hard against the little cottage's windows that it drowned out the sound of knocking; it was only during the occasional lulls that it could still be heard.

He relented in the end, as he knew he would; as his visitor must also have known. He opened the door. One very bedraggled, miserable looking Slytherin huddled in the narrow porch and looked back at him.

"Well?" asked Harry.

Severus tucked his arms inside his sodden cloak and looked out over the bay. A rivulet ran from his hair and trickled down his nose to leave a drop hanging precariously on the very tip.

"What, no dramatic gestures? No grand speeches?" Harry rubbed his eyes. "I'm tired of this, Severus, really, really tired. You don't - you _won't_ \- trust me to stay with you, but you won't leave me alone when I go."

"I know." Severus's voice was a harsh whisper. The drop fell from his nose and another began to form in its place. Harry sighed and stood aside. Severus stood in visible indecision for a moment and Harry raised his eyebrows.

"For God's sake, Severus, get in here. You'll catch pneumonia or something and then you'll find a way to make it all my fault. Which I'm also tired of, by the way."

"I know," he repeated. He took one hesitant step, then a second, just far enough into the cottage for Harry to close the door behind him. He stood dripping onto the mat.

"Get out of those wet things and stand by the fire. Hang on," Harry disappeared into the bathroom and returned with an armful of towels and a bathrobe, dumping them on the armchair. "How the hell did you find me here, anyway?"

Severus's mouth twitched, but he didn't answer.

"Fine, you stubborn bastard, don't tell me. I can guess, anyway. Minerva?"

"I wouldn't want to say," said Severus primly, his gaze briefly meeting Harry's before flicking away again. He cast off the heavy cloak, and his robes joined it in a pile on the floor. Harry gathered them up and disappeared into the bathroom, talking as he went.

"I don't know why you keep doing this. I don't know why she keeps helping you. Every time we get back together, we just make each other miserable until one of us leaves. I thought we'd agreed to call it a day, but here you are yet again." He reappeared in the doorway.

"How did you get here, by the way?"

"Apparated to Aberdeen, ferry to Mainland. Bribed a fisherman to carry me to the other end of the island. Walked from there." Severus sneezed and looked faintly disgusted with himself.

"For crying out loud." Harry took a deep breath. "Here. Get out of your underwear and get dry. It's not as though I haven't seen it all before." He picked up a towel and rubbed it briskly over Severus's wet hair. Severus stood there and let him, stripping out of his remaining clothing. He reached haltingly for another towel, a movement which Harry didn't miss.

"No summoning, here. No magic at all, here."

"I'm perfectly familiar with the status of this island, thank you, Potter. Why you would want..."

He bit off his sentence, unfinished. Harry, safely out of sight behind him, grinned briefly.

"Suits me. No tourists. No magical folk. No hassle. No unwelcome visitors, not until today." He picked up the bathrobe and draped it over Severus's shoulders. Severus quelled a sigh and pulled it around himself tightly. He turned on the spot and looked down into Harry's face.

"Am I unwelcome?" he asked, gently.

"Always. Every time. You know that. How long have we been doing this?"

"Seven years, five months and fourteen days."

Harry froze.

"Since?"

"Since you came to me, after the trial, and said you understood me."

"Oh." Harry folded the towel up, thoughtfully. "You laughed in my face. I'd never seen you laugh."

"I didn't think you understood anything."

"I know what it's like to be the outsider, Severus. I know what it's like to be rejected, ignored, abused. I know - God! I know what it's like to be condemned for making the right choice. To carry the weight of expectation on your shoulders. To live your life in terror of letting someone down."

"I know that, now." He reached a hesitant hand out and brushed his thumb along the line of Harry's cheekbone.

"You let me take you home, though."

"I had nothing but the clothes I stood up in, Harry. Nothing except what you gave me."

"Everything I had was yours."

"You don't owe me anything."

"Nor do you. Why did you come here, today?"

"Why did you let me in?"

"Everything I have is yours." Harry pulled Severus's hand away from his face and pressed it over his heart.

"Harry." He closed his eyes and leaned in until their foreheads touched. Harry's arms came up to grip his shoulders.

"Just stop pushing me away. I'm yours. I've always been yours. I've only ever, ever, been yours."

"I... I was never sure."

"It's the truth. I've never been able to lie to you, have I? Not without you knowing it."

"Harry."

"How long, again?"

"Seven years, five months..."

"...and fourteen days. You've been counting."

"Every single day."

"Will you stay?"

"If you'll let me."

They were swaying, gently, Severus's hand still pressed to Harry's heart. Harry slid his own hands up to cup Severus's face.

"I'll let you if you'll trust me."

"I promise to try."

"That's all I ask."

He took Severus's hands in his and held them gently.

"You're freezing. Get in bed and I'll bring you a hot drink."

"Since you insist."

"I do." Harry smiled and Severus's expression shifted. "Go on, now."

Severus pressed his cheek against Harry's, his lips to Harry's ear, with the condemned look of a man who knew that if he didn't say something, right there and then, he never would. He muttered hurriedly, his breath hot against Harry's face,

"I'm only yours, too," and Harry closed his eyes and squeezed Severus's hands hard enough to hurt.

**Author's Note:**

> The intro was my drabble entry to the InsaneJournal Snarry100 challenge, 'Stormy Weather'. The rest span off from there.
> 
> The title is from the poem 'Rain' by Edward Thomas.


End file.
